DescriptionCoding is a response-based strategy that requires students to mark
down their reactions to reading. This can be done very simply. For example,
a check mark might denote important information, while a question mark might
call attention to confusing or difficult passages. When these codes are
used to organize multiple, lengthy, or difficult texts, they help students
to organize the full range of their reactions, and to focus on the key issues
and questions in their reading.

To use coding effectively, teachers should request that students read through
the text several times. As they read, ask them to put a check mark next
to information that interests them, a plus sign next to information that
is new to them, and a question mark next to information that is confusing
or unclear for them. Then, ask students to go back and look for all of their
code notes, so that they can organize the text through these codes. By doing
this, students can draw together all the aspects of a text that are most
interesting to them, as well as those that are new and those that they do
not yet understand.

Benefits
Since coding is a response-based strategy, it helps students to organize
and reflect on their reactions to texts. Instead of becoming overwhelmed
by the new information, for example, students are able to label and lay
aside the more confusing pieces for later consideration. Once students have
finished reading, the codes left in their texts provide an invaluable map
to their own interests and concerns; students will begin to see what questions
regularly engage them, and what issues often confuse them.